It Is All In The Mix.
So Important.
So Better-Than-That
All Stirred Up: Plop.
Skip The Decisions,
You Know Everything!
I Mean, You're Better
Than That, Since You Don’t...
Sand On The Shore
Sandy Sun-Drenched Beaches...
Breathing Shore.
You Don’t Know Everything.
That's What The Ocean's For.
You Are Stupid
Deliberately On Purpose.
For Balance.
Don't Be So Hard On Yourselves.
-Gray Squirrel
09-28-2026
I'd been dead only an hour
And yet they'd already moved on
Already bid good riddance and closed the coffin
Their words fake, their thoughts sour.
I'd been dead only a day
And yet the maggots picked at my flesh
But couldn't bear to devour my scars
My rejected mistakes untouched, I lay
I'd been dead only a week
But my carcass was left hollow
All but my delusions accepted by nature
The soil murmuring my legacy, a freak.
I'd been dead only a month
My grave stayed bare
weather taking its toll
Id believed people cared, once
I'd been dead only a year
Or was it two now?
You lose yourself when your whole world forgets you
Or when you become the very thing you fear
Who are you without their thoughts
Who are you without your mistakes
Who are you without your legacy
Who are you without someone who cares
Were you ever alive without someone to remember you?
Were you alive when no one saw you?
Are you alive if no one sees you?
Will you be?
You call yourself my father but you never even bother to call me your daughter.
I sat for a while thinking about you
I thought that maybe hes on the moon
“Mollee what did you do, to make him leave all of you?”
I realize that it was never my fault
Hes and adult
Why should I blame myself for him walking away, it’s not like i was old enough to tell him to stay
Thinking about him leaving used to hurt more then bleeding.
I'm 14 now and somehow I still don't know why you left
you just settled on theft.
When Should I Smile?
Smile, they say. It will help break the ice.
Smile, they say. It does not cost anything.
Smile, they say, it will help fix everything.
So, why should I smile?
To show that I am not sad?
To make you feel less bad?
To forget my anger?
I don't think so.
I will smile when I want to.
I will smile when I need to.
I will smile when I feel like.
I will smile....for me!
There long ago was soul,
Daring and bold,
Who shifted more weight than was told.
They made available themselves props
For the battles they immobilized and noticed
Their power taking hold.
Give yourself props, don't delay
You've achieved every step of your way.
When you delay and take heed
You'll see your own bull's eye
Has carried you day after day.
"Give yourself props, don't be reserved-
You endured what they swore you'd deny.
When you stop and take note of the strife you
Out-wrote
You'll see you're the reason you fly
Give yourself props- funny thing
How we clap for the minuscule of wins.
But the truth that you miss is you've
Interacted all this-
With grace that deserves violins.
Stretch to give your best.
Life is a sprint.
It's so short.
AP: 2nd place 2026
let the poem whisper
give dreams voice
bring forth words in your head
let them dance
on page
give dreams voice
lingering in your heart
let them dance
as you awaken
in morning light
lingering in your heart
whispers of love
as you awaken
let them sing and shout
behold your creation
*off-sonnet/pantoum form
Start your day with an uplifting affirmation.
AP: 3rd place 2026
Life comes at you fast.
Take the helm and ride the storm.
AP: 1st place 2026
Love yourself when no one can,
Be positive thats the plan,
Emotions you cant explain,
No one understands this drowning pain,
followed by your hidden fears,
seeking out those meaningful tears,
Love yourself because you can,
Not because someone else tells you they can’t,
You are a guest on this planet
AP: 1st place 2026
(for unfulfilled dreams)
What could have been,
was never shown.
And leaps of faith,
were never known.
What came next,
was never owned.
Most withered in failure,
some had never grown.
But as dreams come through,
they still wander unseen.
Lost in a fog,
in a forest of weeds.
Next steps will guide them,
should all belief abound.
And will grow those dreams mighty,
in more fertile ground.
We live in a world of so much doubt
lacking confidence is a constant seed
so many things contribute to this dilemma
'what can I do?' so many plead
Through the years, confidence has been short
having a stammer has contributed all the more
since infancy, this plight has been my lot
always looking for the key to that door
All the doors have always been locked
no matter how hard I tried, the key didn't turn
but in recent years, I've learned acceptance
the key was to accept me and not to run
At the end of the day, what does it matter?
believe in yourself, no matter what
how you speak, stammer, or fluent
your message gets there, however brought
All of this is really a triumph
one to look upon with pride
just believing you are able
knowing God is on your side
The world is full to overflowing
With those who only care
To sell themselves.
Everywhere you look
Everywhere you turn
The tired old wares
Of ego hang
For all to see.
They think they are flowers
But they’re attracting no bees.
(5/17/26)
Where Do You See Yourself In 5 to 10 Years
Kevin Davis 2025
Today began as what I’d call a good day— A springtime morning, bright and full of play. I basked in sunlight, letting my mind drift To younger years, when life was more a shift.
I thought of all the weight those decades bore— Family and career, and countless duties more. But time moved on, and burdens found their end, Leaving family as my truest, closest friend.
In work, I hired many through the years, Gave worthy hands a chance to climb the tiers. And interviews would circle back again: “Where do you see yourself in five or ten?”
So now today, I ask myself anew: What lies ahead, and what do I pursue? No longer bound by ambition’s tight tether, I seek a gentler vision altogether.
Perhaps I’ll tend the bonds I’ve slowly grown, Or wander down new paths I’ve never known. I’ll balance joy with rest in equal measure, Where purpose glows and life becomes a treasure.
So where will I be in five or ten years? Living life fully, unburdened by fears.
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Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.